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Heading into the final 10 minutes of the match, both Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (11-3-7) and Toronto FC II (1-16-3) were locked in a scoreless draw. In the 81st minute, the Hounds broke this stalemate, as forward Neco Brett’s 11th goal of the season gave the squad a 1-0 victory on Saturday at Highmark Stadium. Here’s how Pittsburgh earned three points at home.

81’ Neco Brett assisted by Christiano François

Spanning more than half the field on the break, it required an entire team effort for the Hounds to break through for the eventual game-winning goal.

At the halfway line, midfielder Kenardo Forbes began to create offense while shaking free of opposing kits. Once he obtained a passing lane, he sent a ball to striker Dennis Chin, who timed a high-efficiency run to the left corner of the pitch.

The above snapshot showcases the success and timing of Chin’s run. Forbes (yellow arrow) has sent the pass, which is in the process of splitting through the Toronto backline. Chin (not pictured) has already broken free behind the backline, leading him to successfully attain possession in the attacking third.

Seen above, Chin (orange arrow) dribbles the ball closer to the 18-yard box before finding midfielder Christiano François (blue arrow), who stands open near the top of the penalty area while Toronto is still in the midst of recovering.

As Toronto simultaneously regroups and closes in on François, Brett (green arrow) crashes the net. Seeing his teammate approach the six-yard box, the winger boots the ball across the goalmouth, and Brett slides forward to deflect the ball into the net.

Tale of the Tape

Despite both sides combining for nine corner kicks in the first-45 minutes, neither could register a shot on goal. Further displaying the evenness of the first half, 57 percent of this stretch was played in the middle third of the field whereas 21 percent was played in the Hounds’ defensive third and 22 percent in Pittsburgh’s attacking third.

In the second half, these percentages didn’t change much, as all thirds were within two percentage points of their first-half action time. But what did change was each team’s ability to place shots on goal. Pittsburgh totaled four shots on target compared to two shots on goal from Toronto. These extra two takes on frame ultimately helped propel the Hounds to the game’s lone tally and three points.

He was just becoming acquainted with a steel metropolis at the center of three rivers.

In the heat of 2012, Dan Lynd began summer camp for the men’s soccer program at the University of Pittsburgh. Heading into his freshman season, the Penfield, New York native was in the midst of shaking off nerves as he met another goalkeeper who would become a prominent figure in his career.

“I remember [Hunter Gilstrap] being really calm and patient with me,” Lynd said. “I was trying to do a lot of stuff, and he was like ‘relax, relax, you’re fine.’ I feel like I’ve come a long way since then.”

From setting the program record in goalkeeper minutes (4,681) at Pittsburgh to playing professionally with the Rochester Rhinos from 2016-17, Lynd’s long-winding journey has now intersected with Gilstrap’s. Recording his 10th shutout of the season against the Richmond Kickers on Wednesday, he broke a tie he held with Gilstrap and Randy Dedini for the most single-season clean sheets in club history.

With the accolade under his belt, Lynd will look to do more of the same, as the Hounds (10-3-7) battle Toronto FC II (1-15-3) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium.

“It feels nice,” Lynd said about setting the record. “We still have 14 games left, so there’s a long way to go. The team has played really well in front of me and made my job easy at times, and I’ve been able to come up with a few big plays when I’ve needed to. Hopefully that continues.”

When Lynd arrived at Riverhounds SC camp this past February, he was the only goalkeeper on the squad with prior playing experience at the USL level. Fellow keepers Kyle Morton and Mike Kirk had been rostered by league teams, but neither had appeared in a game like Lynd had.

Although he logged time in the goalmouth, it wasn’t a large sample size. Playing behind two-time USL Golden Glove winner Tomas Gomez for the Rhinos, Lynd posted a 1.27 goals-against average (GAA) in 11 appearances across two seasons with the club.

Gilstrap said despite his limited playing time heading into the start of the 2018 campaign, Lynd was helped by his familiarity with head coach Bob Lilley, who he also competed for during his stint with the Rhinos, as well as his ability to stay calm between the goalposts.

Lynd has exceled since being thrust into the starting role for the Hounds after waiting in the wings during his first two professional seasons. He did not allow a goal over the course of his first three starts with the Black and Gold, and now ranks among the leaders in the 2018 USL Golden Glove race with a 0.59 GAA.

“The message he’s receiving from us is ‘yes good job, but we’re not there yet,’” Gilstrap said. “There’s an expectation from him, on himself, to continue to get better every day.”

As the coaching staff preaches improvement during weekly training sessions, the Hounds will look to capitalize on their home turf against Toronto FC II this weekend. In nine all-time meetings, Pittsburgh has never lost to Toronto and holds a 7-0-2 record against the Eastern Conference foe.

Adding another win to this all-time mark will be of great help to the Hounds in the standings, as they currently sit in third place and seven points behind conference-leading FC Cincinnati.

“Our big objective as a group is to consistently perform at a high level,” Gilstrap said. “Put a string of games together where the results line up with the good performance. I think that’s the goal through the end of the season.”

After defeating the Richmond Kickers this past Wednesday, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (10-3-7) looks to win its second home game of the week, as Toronto FC II (1-15-3) comes to the Steel City for a showdown at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium. Winning their first two meetings, the Hounds can sweep the season series with a victory this weekend.

The Magician

Last time out, Kenardo Forbes racked up his team-leading fifth and sixth assists of the season. Making this feat even more impressive was that the midfielder did it in only 25 minutes of play, as he entered the game as a second-half substitute. With a career-high six assists in a single season, Forbes will look to add to his total as the campaign progresses.

New Blood

For the second straight game, an athlete posted his first points in 2018. Following forward Kay Banjo’s assist-recording performance, midfielder Ben Fitzpatrick joined him on the yearly score sheet with a goal. With 14 games remaining, the Hounds now have 14 different players with a point this season.

Defending the Castle

Having a 4-0-0 all-time home record against Toronto FC II, the Hounds shut out the opposition in their past two meetings at Highmark Stadium. The last time Toronto scored in Pittsburgh occurred on May 21, 2016, when Malik Johnson potted a goal in the 83rd minute. For the Hounds to clinch their third straight home clean sheet against the team north of the border, they will once again need to lock down Johnson, who leads Toronto with 17 shots this season.

With his two assists last time out, Forbes has reached 40 points in his professional career at the USL level. He is currently in the midst of his fourth straight season in the league.

Last time out against the Richmond Kickers, the Hounds’ bench was responsible for four of their eight points during the match. Gearing up for its third game in eight days, Pittsburgh will once again need its depth to shine through against Toronto FC II this Saturday.

PITTSBURGH (August 3, 2018) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (10-3-7) caps off its two-game homestand facing Toronto FC II (1-15-3) at 7 p.m. tomorrow night at Highmark Stadium.

Fresh off snapping a two-game skid last time out, the Hounds will look to continue their past success against the Young Reds on Saturday. Already with two wins this season against Toronto, Pittsburgh has dominated the head-to-head series since 2015. The Hounds are 7-0-2 in nine meetings all-time, including 4-0 at home, and hold a goal differential of plus-15.

Forward Neco Brett has been a driving force in both victories this season, with four of his 10 goals on the year coming against Toronto. Netting a brace earlier this week against Richmond, Brett is once again heating up at the right time and will be a threat to net goals in back-to-back games for a third time this year.

Off the pitch, pregame will highlight Saturday’s festivities as 93.7 The Fan will stop down to host a Black and Gold tailgate from gates open at 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Located in the West End Gate parking lot, fans will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, including Hounds and Kennywood tickets. In addition, the club’s $1 beer special will run from gates open to kickoff.

Tickets to Saturday’s match are still available and can be found by visiting www.riverhounds.com. The game can also be streamed live via ESPN+ with a paid subscription.

More info on this weekend’s game can be found below.

WHO

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Toronto FC II

WHEN

7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4

WHERE

Highmark Stadium

WATCH

ESPN+

FOLLOW

Twitter: @RiverhoundsSC – #PGHvTOR | #UNLEASH

Stats: USL Match Center

Toronto FC II overall record: 1-15-3

Toronto FC II road record: 0-10-0

STREAK: W1

Pittsburgh overall record: 10-3-7

Pittsburgh home record: 6-2-3

STREAK: W1

Kyle Morton – Out (Lower-body)

May 5, 2018, at Marina Auto Stadium

Pittsburgh 2, Toronto FC II 1

Scoring Summary

PGH – Neco Brett 12’ (Kevin Kerr)

PGH – Kevin Kerr 36’ (Neco Brett)

TOR – Shaan Hundal 90’+1 (Mariano Miño)

April 7, 2018, at Highmark Stadium

Pittsburgh 4, Toronto FC II 0

Scoring Summary

PGH – Neco Brett 52’ (Thomas Vancaeyezeele)

PGH – Neco Brett 59’ (Ben Zemanski)

PGH – Neco Brett 83’

PGH – Christiano François 88’ (Neco Brett)

Pittsburgh

Goals: Neco Brett (10)

Assists: Kenardo Forbes (6)

Points: Neco Brett (23)

Saves: Dan Lynd (32)

Save %: Dan Lynd (.762)

GAA: Dan Lynd (0.59)

Toronto FC II

Goals: Ayo Akinola (4)

Assists: Aidan Daniels, Shaan Hundal, Mariano Miño and Luca Uccello (2)

Points: Ayo Akinola (9)

Saves: Gianluca Catalano (20)

Save %: Angelo Cavalluzzo (.640)

GAA: Caleb Patterson-Sewell (1.60)

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh 3, Richmond 0

SCORING SUMMARY

PGH – Neco Brett 5’

PGH – Neco Brett 69’ (Kenardo Forbes)

PGH – Ben Fitzpatrick 81’ (Kenardo Forbes)

LINEUP

Dan Lynd – Andrew Lubahn (Joe Greenspan 65’), Todd Pratzner, Hugh Roberts, Jordan Dover, Noah Franke – Mohamed Dabo, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Ben Zemanski (Kenardo Forbes 65’) – Christiano François (Ben Fitzpatrick 77’) – Neco Brett

Toronto FC II

Toronto FC II 2, Nashville SC 0

SCORING SUMMARY

TOR – Luca Uccello 34’ (penalty)

TOR – Matthew Srbely 47’ (Shaan Hundal)

LINEUP

Caleb Patterson-Sewell – Kyle Bjornethun, Rocco Romeo, Lars Eckenrode, Tim Kübel – Gideon, Waja (Robert Boskovic 81’), Dante Campbell – Luca Uccello, Matthew Srbely, Jordan Faria (Aidan Daniels 77’) – Shaan Hundal (Malik Johnson 86’)

Single-Game Tickets

Join us before the match for a Black & Gold tailgate hosted by 93.7 The Fan in the West Side Gate parking lot. Among the pregame festivities will be a chance to win great prizes ranging from Hounds tickets to Kennywood Tickets and other fantastic items.

In addition, the team’s $1 beer special will run from gates open at 5:30 p.m. until kickoff.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (10-3-7) will be taking on Toronto FC II (1-15-3) for the third and final time this season. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 4 at Highmark Stadium. 

Toronto FC II currently sits in last place in the Eastern Conference with only six points and a 1-15-3 overall record. Last weekend, Toronto took a step in the right direction earning its first win of the season against Nashville SC, 2-0. In its last five games, the team north of the border holds a 1-3-1 record, as its win last time out snapped a prior three-game losing streak.

Midfielders Matt Srbely and Luca Uccello helped secure the first win of the season for Toronto FC II with a goal apiece against Nashville SC. Both Srbely and Uccello have been impactful players for Toronto’s offense this season. So far, Uccello has three goals and two assists while Srbely has contributed two goals. Uccello also is tied for the team lead with 15 chances created.

Strengths

Conversion: Toronto FC II has finished its chances, owning one of the highest conversion rates in the East at 16 percent.

Passing accuracy: Toronto FC II has controlled its passes with a 78 percent passing accuracy, which compares favorably to the Hounds’ 71 percent accuracy.

Weaknesses

Goals conceded: In the back, Toronto FC II has conceded the most goals (46) in the East. On average, Toronto has allowed 2.4 goals per game. 

Away games: So far, Toronto has struggled on the road, losing all 10 matches on its opponent’s turf.

For the third time this season, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (10-3-7) posted at least three goals in a game during its 3-0 victory against the Richmond Kickers (5-12-3) on Wednesday at Highmark Stadium. The Hounds started the scoring soon after kickofff, notching their earliest goal of the season in the 5th minute. Here’s how Neco Brett’s brace and Ben Fitzpatrick’s first career goal led the squad to three points.

5’ Neco Brett

Brett pressured the Richmond backline for 90 minutes, and it did not take long for his efforts to be rewarded.

After Richmond defender Conor Shanosky (red arrow) misplays a header while trying to clear an incoming long ball, Brett (yellow arrow) immediately collects the sphere and turns toward the goal.

Electing to run outside and around Brett, Shanosky frees up the striker for a right-footed take at the net. As the defender cannot run around the Kingston, Jamaica native quick enough, Brett beats Richmond goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg to the left post to provide Pittsburgh with an early 1-0 lead.

69’ Neco Brett assisted by Kenardo Forbes

The Hounds utilized precision passing for their second goal of the match, and the sequence started with a hustle play. Using his speed, winger Christiano François sprinted toward the left flank to keep the ball from rolling out of bounds.

As he advances past the halfway line, François (yellow arrow) keeps his head up and finds teammate Kenardo Forbes (orange arrow and orange shoes) joining him on the break.

Once he quickly gathers possession, Forbes locates Brett (green arrow) open in a midst of Richmond defenders. Despite the Kickers outnumbering the Hounds 6-to-2 in the above freeze frame, they could not find a way in the passing lane to disrupt the vertical pass.

With the ball at his feet, Brett turns and elects to take advantage of the space provided to him by Richmond defender Mekeil Williams (red arrow) rather than attacking him into the penalty area. The striker’s choice pays off, and he notched his second goal of the match to bring the score to 2-0.

81’ Ben Fitzpatrick assisted by Kenardo Forbes

Subbing into the match just four minutes earlier, Fitzpatrick’s season debut soon turned into points.

Using his field vision, Forbes (orange arrow) spots Fitzpatrick (not pictured), who is making a run down the left flank.

With ideal pace, the through-ball splits the Richmond defense and leads Fitzpatrick (yellow arrow) into the 18-yard box. As he found himself behind the defense, it left the midfielder alone with Spangenberg for a one-on-one battle – a matchup that Fitzpatrick won to the far post to give the club its third goal of the match.

Tale of the Tape

The Hounds dominated the Kickers from start to finish, outshooting the foe 15-9 en route to posting a season-high nine shots on goal. Nine of Pittsburgh’s shots came from inside the 18-yard box, although the team also had success scoring from outside the penalty area. Both of Brett’s goals were posted from outside the penalty box.

Aiding the Hounds in their dominance was that they spent a large portion of the match inside the attacking third. A whopping 35.8 percent of the match took place in the Hounds’ attacking third whereas only 14.3 percent of the game occurred in the their defensive third. This consistent pressure led to additional scoring opportunities to thrust the Hounds toward three points.

Subbing into the game, forward Kay Banjo soon found himself in the middle of the action.

Holding the ball on the North Carolina FC side of the halfway line, the forward soon faced pressure and distributed a key pass to Christiano François, who stood open on the right flank. François did the rest, sprinting into the penalty area and scoring the equalizer in Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s eventual 2-1 defeat this past Saturday.

The Hounds (9-3-7) now face a quick turnaround and will clash with the Richmond Kickers (5-11-3) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Highmark Stadium. This will mark the second game of a three-games-in-eight-days stretch for the club – a period that it will depend on team depth and substitutions, such as Banjo’s substitution during the aforementioned North Carolina FC showdown.

“I feel good right now,” Banjo said. “Early in the season, I picked up a hamstring injury. Those take time, and even when you think you’re fine you’re not. I stuck through it and kept working and feel good.”

This hamstring injury slowed Banjo in his second season with the Hounds. As the club underwent a change at head coach for the 2018 season, Banjo had to learn and become familiar with a new system while undergoing his rehabilitation process.

This past Saturday against North Carolina FC, Banjo posted his first point since recording six points in his 2017 rookie season with the Hounds. The Upper Marlboro, Maryland native also logged a 2018 game-high 59 minutes in this match.

As an injury has more so eased Banjo into the lineup this season, another teammate just returned from a midseason injury last time out against North Carolina FC.

“I feel pretty good,” midfielder Ben Zemanski said. “Obviously game fitness is still coming, but overall my body feels pretty good. It feels good to be back out there with the boys.”

Zemanski, who accumulated 27 minutes last time out, said as he missed contests due to injury, he still found ways to help fellow Hounds read the game and provide advice to teammates all while focusing much of his time on rehabilitating his lower-body injury.

In addition to the veteran leadership Zemanski has provided Pittsburgh this season, there has been another player who has helped younger athletes – one who has specifically helped take Banjo under his wing.

“Dennis Chin and I in the locker room sit right next to each other,” Banjo said. “As much as we’re teammates, he’s been in the game for a while so he gives a lot of advice on getting in behind and running and not being just a stand-up striker. He teaches that part of the game and he does it well. I see it every day at practice, so that is what I get out of his game and is something I need to work on, too.”

Leading up to Wednesday’s match against Richmond, the Hounds began the week with recovery from the short turnaround. The club also will look to regain its rhythm as it works in a specific game plan, one aimed at defeating the Kickers for the second time this season (Pittsburgh was earlier victorious against Richmond, winning 2-1 on June 2 at City Stadium).

“We’ve faced some weeks like this throughout the season, so we are all well prepared for it,” Zemanski said. “We have a deep squad, so guys can step up if [head coach Bob Lilley] decides to rotate the squad a bit. We’re prepared and we’re looking to bounce back after the couple losses.”